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Amongst my grandfather's papers were 5 letters from friends, Coventry lads, who were enrolled in the 2nd Bn of the South Wales Borderers. Before they set out on the ill-fated expedition to Gallipoli in 1915, they enjoyed nights out at the Gosford Hotel in St Georges Road. The regulars there sent parcels with cigarettes out to them. The letters, from Gallipoli, make sad reading. One of the chaps in the photo I think must be Sgt J Noble but I've no idea which of the others are in the photo. Below are listed the names of the letter writers and other names that are mentioned in them. If anyone has any information about any of these chaps, and their families, I would be very glad to hear from them. Thank you.
10018 Cpl. Tom Dakin
10373 Sergt. J. Noble
10386 Pte E (Tiger) Smith
Brummy Howard, possibly Private John Howard, 10027 died 28-5-15*
Laury Lewis, died before 1-10-1915
Jerry ???, died 25-4-15 - the day they landed
Harry Bodger
Nobby Hall
Navvy Martin
Jack Mandall, Private John Mandall, 9035 died 25-12-15*
Harry Dearman
Bert Jones, Cpl Herbert Jones, 10182 died 8-5-15*
Sgt. James, died 8-5-15
* Details from Commonwealth War Graves Commission Website - named on the Helles Memorial

They were very fortunate, my great uncle, Private E.J. Hall who also lived in East Street enlisted in November 1915. Because he was a baker by trade he led a charmed life until late 1918, when, because of the need for men was killed in the fighting around Cambrai.
He was killed 13.10.18 fighting with the Seaforth Highlanders.
It is my intention to go and lay flowers on his grave.

Thanks for the link Morgana. I forwarded it to a friend in New Zealand whom I chat with every evening on Skype. With the fantastic sharpness of the images it led to an evening of searching on the internet as to what camera might have been used. We concluded it must have been a handheld camera by the type of subjects and how they were handled. It could have been a roll-film camera with size 122 negatives (roughly the size of a postcard), but there were also hand-held cameras using glass plates during that era. We tracked all this down by using the internet and is why I always insist I am still learning about photography.

Hope your friend enjoyed them too Pixrobin.
I have a photo of my mum born 1919 aged 8 in her class room b&w very crisp and clear, she told me the photographer just placed the film on the classroom windowsill and it developed there on the window while she and the class watched it develop.
Edited by member, 17th Aug 2014 1:31 pm